


fic dump: drabbles for chanyeol's 22nd birthday

by coppertears



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: AU, BIRTHDAY DRABBLES, Chanyeol's 22nd birthday, Fic Dump, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 15:38:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7228504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coppertears/pseuds/coppertears
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a collection of drabbles for Chanyeol's 22nd birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. chanyeol/kyungsoo: trace love on my skin

  
**trace love on my skin**  
chanyeol/kyungsoo  
pg-13  
  
for subtracts. prompt: “he’s not a poet, but i can tell from the way that he traced the curve of my spine with his fingertips that he thinks like one."

some nights, chanyeol stares at the city lights blinking at him from outside his office window. the hands on the clock are inching closer and closer to midnight, and his body's sore and aching, and right now all he wants is to dive under silk bed sheets and hold his lover close. kyungsoo's probably asleep by now, drifting on dreams that chanyeol hopes he's part of. he turns to his computer and sighs, finishing off the last of his assigned papers.

the apartment is dark by the time he arrives. chanyeol removes his shoes and walks through the living room, trying to make as little noise as possible. he tiptoes to the bedroom for a change of clothes.kyungsoo is already tucked in bed, his lips parted, eyes shut. chanyeol sets down his pajamas for a second and leans over to brush away a strand of hair that's fallen across the younger boy's eyes, his hand lingering on kyungsoo's cheek. he bites his lip, tempted to just slip under the covers and hold kyungsoo tight, but the moment passes and he goes straight to the bathroom.

in the beginning, kyungsoo used to wait up for him, and chanyeol would go home as fast as he could so that the two of them could spend some time together. it felt wonderful, being able to crash straight into kyungsoo's arms and have those lips on every inch of exposed skin. sometimes they'd just lie down on the couch and listen to each other's heartbeat. when chanyeol came home early enough, they'd cook dinner together, flinging spices into each other's faces.

but then chanyeol had been promoted, and it meant longer, lonelier hours spent in the office. kyungsoo sat on the couch until 1 am for five days, just so he could envelop chanyeol in his scent and heat when he arrived, and rub away the taller man's exhaustion with soothing whispers. on the sixth day, however, chanyeol had told him to stop because he'd come upon a half-awake kyungsoo slumped over the dining table, and at that moment he'd looked as if anything could break him. kyungsoo had protested; chanyeol had told him it wasn't worth it.

"it _is_ worth it," kyungsoo had said, lips set in that stubborn frown.

and chanyeol had laughed, wondering if his concern was leaking through the sound, and he'd said, "you need to sleep, too. don't wait up for me, kyungsoo, or else i'll just not come home at all."

kyungsoo had no choice but to comply.

it makes chanyeol feel better, to be honest -- the knowledge that his lover is safe, secure and well-rested even when chanyeol is drowning in too much paperwork that he's not sure he can handle. he only really gets to be with kyungsoo on the weekends, when there is no work to drive them apart. sometimes he misses having the younger boy's smile light up his black-and-white world after a stressful day at the office, but it's not a demand he can make when he can only go home in the early morning hours.

he washes his face and changes into his pajamas, shoulders aching with stress and fatigue. chanyeol stares at the way his reflection wavers in the mirror. there are days when he can't recognize himself anymore -- when he starts wondering how he’d started looking like an older, more weary version of himself.

kyungsoo is snoring lightly by the time chanyeol returns to their shared bedroom. he peels back the sheets and lies down, careful not to jostle the younger boy, before turning over to look at kyungsoo. in the half-light pouring through the windows, kyungsoo is beautiful. his eyelashes feather against the curves of his cheeks; his lips form a heart. chanyeol winds an arm across the smaller man's body and holds him close, exhaling because his heart feels too full right now, and he presses a kiss on the top of kyungsoo's head. he closes his eyes.

"you're back," a soft, velvety voice breaks through the silence. chanyeol frowns to himself.

"yeah," he says, and he hears how his voice roughens, "i am. go back to sleep."

kyungsoo hums a little under his breath. he moves in even closer, until there is little to no distance between their bodies, and chanyeol wants to melt. "how's your day?"

chanyeol has to smile. "it was fine. now shhh."

kyungsoo chuckles. then his hands slip under chanyeol's shirt and runs up his back, tracing comforting circles onto burning skin. chanyeol clutches him tighter.

he knows that the younger man spends his days working at music store. kyungsoo's well-versed in strumming pliant guitar strings and coaxing rich tones from the pianos on display. his hands are made to read music sheets and tap out the rhythm of any song. but sometimes, sometimes when they are lying like this, hungry for the slightest touch -- sometimes, chanyeol feels like kyungsoo can be a poet. and he is not a poet, not one at all, but the way kyungsoo traces the curve of chanyeol's spine makes him feel that he thinks like one. when kyungsoo maps out every dip and angle of his body with his breath and trails kisses down his chest, chanyeol feels like there are words being brought to life on his skin. there is a stanza formed in the way kyungsoo's lips linger on his eyelids. there is a meter, a rhyme buried in the way kyungsoo presses his palms against chanyeol's nape. a sonnet is there somewhere, tangled whenever kyungsoo cards his fingers through chanyeol's hair. there is so much being said.

"love you, 'soo," chanyeol murmurs against the shell of his lover's ear. and he feels the smile forming on kyungsoo's lips, feels it rather than sees it, and his heart seems to swell.

"love you, too, yeol."

as he drifts off (finally) to sleep, chanyeol thinks he doesn't mind being kyungsoo's midnight poem because they always end up together, anyway.  


 

 

 


	2. chanyeol/baekhyun: on sundays, we build a home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is what he does, over and over, until sunday arrives.

**on sundays, we build a home**  
baekhyun/chanyeol  
pg-13  
  
for _bbaeks. prompt: "sunday morning rain is falling, steal some covers, share some skin."

almost every day of every week, chanyeol wakes up to dust motes swirling in the sunlight. he throws aside the bed covers to the floor, where they pool at his feet and stay until he comes home somewhere between nine and ten in the evening. he slips bread in the toaster and drinks milk straight out of the carton. the toast is finished in five bites; he starts craving for coffee but there's no time to make a cup. he showers for fifteen minutes and dresses for ten. by the time the clock reads 7:30 am, he's out of the door and driving to work.

for a substantial amount of hours, chanyeol sits in his office cubicle and goes through financial reports. his head begins to hurt around three hours before his shift ends. he goes home a little later than the rest of his colleagues, and when he opens the door to his empty apartment, he is too tired to make a proper dinner. he takes down a couple packs of ramyun and eats it with water from the pitcher in the fridge. he goes to sleep at 10:30.

this is his routine almost every day of every week. this is what he does, over and over, until sunday arrives.

baekhyun comes on sundays.

he's a solo musician steadily gaining ground in the industry, his schedule filled with appearances at concerts, photo shoots and product endorsements. he is a perpetual guest in every variety show across the nation. it's safe to say that he's been booked for the entire year -- except for sundays.

on sundays, chanyeol feels warmth slip into his arms and he clutches it to his chest with a smile on his face. he opens his eyes to see baekhyun's limbs tangled with his, and baekhyun has eyebags and tired eyes and a wobbly smile, but when chanyeol kisses his cheek it's as though happiness just pours out of him.

"how are you?" chanyeol whispers into his ear, and he can feel baekhyun shiver a little.

"fine," baekhyun yawns out, hands scrabbling for purchase on chanyeol's shirt so he can properly claim his lips.

and chanyeol sees the weariness braided into baekhyun's shoulders, but he knows that what he's saying is true. baekhyun is fine. chanyeol is fine. they're fine because they're together.

outside, rain begins to tap on the windows. baekhyun shivers again, the cold getting under his skin, and he reaches out to pull the covers over himself. chanyeol lets him, sleep now finding its way out of his system, and he cards his fingers through baekhyun's hair.

"do you want to eat anything?" he asks. the singer shakes his head and breathes in.

"can i eat you," is what baekhyun says and chanyeol chuckles. "come closer. it's cold, and i need all the heat i can get."

"of course." chanyeol wraps his arms around baekhyun's body and hums an indistinct tune.

"let's just stay in today," baekhyun murmurs, eyes fluttering shut.

"okay," chanyeol says. he thumbs baekhyun's cheekbone one last time; and then he lets himself fall asleep too, fire burning low beneath his skin because baekhyun is here and today seems that much brighter.

on sundays, they always find their way back to each other, and that is all chanyeol has ever wanted.  


 

 

 


	3. chanyeol/baekhyun: pick up the pieces (darling, i just want you back)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> he might have forgiven chanyeol if the other man hadn't nodded his head and promised.

**pick up the pieces (darling, i just want you back)**  
chanyeol/baekhyun  
pg-13  
  
for starsthatlast. prompt: chanyeol and baekhyun fight, set aside differences and make up with each other.  
**a/n:** pei why do you do this to meeeeeee

it starts when baekhyun sees chanyeol wrapping his arms around sehun's waist and whispering something into the maknae's ear. he's all the way at the other end of the room, getting a make-up retouch for the mv shooting, but the only thing he can focus on is how the two guys burst into laughter. he plasters a smile on his face when the coordi noona swipes peach gloss over his lips and another one curls his hair, but deep down he's seething.

when chanyeol rests his hand on his shoulder later, the entire group crammed into the van and headed for home, baekhyun shrugs it off. he watches the rest of the city flicker into a blur that grows and fades away. chanyeol drums his fingers on his thigh but baekhyun simply moves his leg out of the way, and this is the first time that such a distance even exists between them. they have always been stuck together, skin on skin, breaths mingling -- but after what happened today, baekhyun's had enough. he's more than just fed up with how chanyeol keeps flitting off from person to person, never mind that baekhyun's told him one too many times that _chanyeol-ah, since you're my boyfriend now, you should stop having skinship with the other members_.

he might have forgiven chanyeol if the other man hadn't nodded his head and promised. he might have let it all pass him by, if the taller guy hadn't pressed his lips against the shell of baekhyun's ear and said, _of course, baek_.

he doesn't transfer to chanyeol's bed that night.

the silent war goes on for several days. there is a tense atmosphere clinging to them whenever they are within each other's eyesight, and sometimes it feels petty but baekhyun's not backing down. chanyeol compliments kyungsoo's cooking one day and it ends with baekhyun flinging spaghetti in chanyeol's face. baekhyun sidles up to kris and lays his head on the chinese-canadian's shoulder, and the next thing he knows, he and chanyeol are caught up in a shouting match that has somehow dragged everyone else out of their beds. they are a volatile pair, the two of them, and lately baekhyun can't see chanyeol interacting with anyone without seeing red.

it's a couple of weeks later, when sehun breaks down after saying that he wishes the hyungs won't fight so much, that baekhyun wonders if it's even worth it. he looks over to where chanyeol is, and the rapper is quick to console the maknae. at this point, baekhyun doesn't know what they're fighting about anymore. he doesn't know how to patch up a bridge that's been torn down and burned and left to flutter in the dust. he keeps his lips shut.

they stop blowing up at each other after that, but baekhyun knows they're stuck. there is no way to know where they're heading from here. he doesn't know if they've somehow agreed to break up in all that time they spent sparring verbally with each other. he doesn't know how to approach chanyeol again, how to look into the taller man's eyes when he has avoided their gaze for so long.

he doesn't have to wonder long.

chanyeol's waiting for him outside the recording studio after baekhyun's just finished another session for the new songs on their repackaged album. he's slumped over and staring at his feet, all bundled up in his hoodie that is always too loose everywhere when baekhyun wears it, and baekhyun feels his heart jump a little. he drinks his water, wondering if he should approach him, but then chanyeol looks up.

and he nearly stumbles, because that look in chanyeol's eyes is so dark, so hopeless, so raw and aching and it's making him want to reach out. it's making baekhyun want to cross out all those red-letter days of being a dynamite stick lit on both ends, those days of ragging on chanyeol for everything he did.

he knows it was nothing but pure jealousy and possessiveness on his part, and now everyone is suffering.

"hey," chanyeol says, deep voice steady and low, but the measured way that the syllables leave his tongue tells baekhyun he is anything but confident.

baekhyun can't trust himself to speak. he tilts his head in acknowledgment.

chanyeol hesitates and his hand seems to reach out, but then an unnamed emotion crosses his face and he lets his hand hang by his side. "we...we need to talk."

"yeah," baekhyun says, trying to swallow around the lump in his throat. he doesn't want this. when has talking to chanyeol ever felt this difficult, this tentative? their conversations were never like this. he wants to bring it all back.

chanyeol steps forward. baekhyun's heartbeat accelerates. "i'm really sorry, baek," the rapper breathes out, and there's a crack forming in his voice now. "i know i promised you, i know i should have stuck to that promise, and this is all my fault. i am so sorry."

baekhyun can't breathe. he doesn't know where all the air has gone; he doesn't know what to do now, but he can see the tears forming in chanyeol's eyes and it hurts when he realizes that he's the cause. "yeol --"

"i just want you back," chanyeol whispers, and the tears paint trails down his cheeks, "i just want you back in my arms again. i don't want this, i don't want _us_ to be like this, i want to be able to hold you again and talk to you and --"

"i'm sorry," baekhyun interrupts him. he's shaking all over now. "i'm sorry, it's my fault. you didn't do anything wrong. i was just...jealous, and i didn't trust you enough, and i was selfish --"

"baek, i was the one who broke the promise."

"i was being unreasonable, yeol," baekhyun insists, and he starts walking forward as well. and chanyeol's doing the same, he's taking step after step, and they meet each other halfway. "i started it."

"but --"

"can we not argue about this?" baekhyun says, and he manages a weak smile. "i...can you just hold me again, like you said? because i miss you, too. i miss being in your arms."

chanyeol stares at him. and then a grin spreads wide and slow over his lips, and before baekhyun can register anything, he's wrapped up in chanyeol's warmth and they're kissing and his head feels like it's all askew and screwed on wrong. it's heady, being in chanyeol's arms, and baekhyun wants to drown in this feeling.

when they break apart for air, chanyeol moves on to press a chaste kiss on baekhyun's forehead. "we should go."

baekhyun nods his head. he feels the way his fingers fill the spaces in chanyeol's hand and he smiles. "yeah, let's go."  


 

 


	4. chanyeol/kyungsoo: run to you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's when he's nearly reached the edges of the crowd that he sees him.

**run to you**  
chanyeol/kyungsoo  
pg-13  
  
for chanbyeol. prompt: "out of the doubt that fills my mind, i somehow find you and i collide."

he first meets kyungsoo in the thick of a frat party that chanyeol's been forced to attend for all the wrong reasons. neon lights bleed through the darkness, and in the midst of bodies grinding against each other as if friction can save a sinner, chanyeol covers his ears. it's far too loud in this place, and from 9 pm onwards, the bass has been overwhelming the lyrics of each song. he tries to squeeze past unfamiliar faces, but it's a difficult task when one is pretty much gifted (or cursed) with the anatomical proportions of a giant.

goddamit, but his friends have all wandered off into different directions, and chanyeol's stuck being the clueless klutz that he is. always off-kilter, always that tiny bit out of place, and he's lived with that feeling for several years but he still doesn't like it. with some effort, he manages to maneuver himself out of a particularly tight spot where everyone is clumped together into a huge mass of heat. chanyeol rolls his eyes when he sees people kissing everyone else, not even minding who they're exchanging saliva with.

it's when he's nearly reached the edges of the crowd that he sees him.

the boy's much, much smaller than chanyeol, and he's perched on a stool in front of the bar counter. in other circumstances, chanyeol might not have noticed him, might have slid his gaze over to the next shiny thing nearby. but he does notice him, and it's because the boy is staring at him as well, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. their gazes intersect for maybe over five seconds, and then a flush creeps onto chanyeol's cheeks and he glances down.

by the time he stumbles his way to the bar counter, finally free from intertwining limbs and invasive lips and scalding breaths, the boy is nowhere in sight. chanyeol shakes his head at himself. it's not like there was anything loaded into that gaze -- not like there was a spark catching between them.

he's just about to hop onto a stool when a hand wraps around his elbow and chanyeol whirls around, ready to let the word _no_ fall out of his lips. but then he stops short because it's _the boy_ , and he has look down due to the height difference between the two of them.

the boy swallows visibly and he raises his head, wide eyes blinking up at chanyeol, and asks, "what's your name?"

chanyeol blinks back. "park chanyeol."

the boy nods his head, hand fluttering up as he gestures to himself. "do kyungsoo."

for a second, a smile flickers on kyungsoo's lips. then he is gone, weaving his way back through the crowd, and chanyeol's not quite sure what just happened.

he doesn't see him for the rest of the night.

 

 

 

it's almost two weeks later when chanyeol bumps into kyungsoo again. he's rushing down the hallways, panicking because he's about eight minutes late to his class, when he crashes straight into a person. in chanyeol's defense, the person is short while he is tall, and from his perspective he can't see anyone standing in his way. his books are scattered everywhere along with some loose papers, and chanyeol groans. then he remembers that there is a warm body beneath him and he rolls off, getting on his knees.

"are you okay?" he asks, concerned. the person's face is turned away from him, but his features seem familiar. chanyeol frowns a little.

"i -- yeah, i'm fine," the person says, and then he's sitting up and facing chanyeol, and chanyeol jerks back in surprise.

"kyungsoo?" he blurts out then claps a hand over his mouth.

the corners of kyungsoo's lips turn up. "yeah. park chanyeol, right?"

chanyeol nods, not trusting himself. as the two of them stand up, there is a small voice in the back of his mind that's telling him to _hurry up, you’re fifteen minutes late_ , but chanyeol is too caught up in staring at kyungsoo. the shorter boy helps him pick up his books and papers, and when they're finally complete, he steps back with a slight shrug.

"well, see you around," kyungsoo says. and with that, he's gone again, leaving chanyeol to wonder why he never quite stays. but then chanyeol doesn't have anything much to say to him either.

he skips class and heads to the library instead.

 

 

 

do kyungsoo is a singer in the school choir and has often won prizes at various individual singing competitions. chanyeol learns this after the tenth time they come across each other. this time, it happens because chanyeol is looking the other way as he rounds a corner, while kyungsoo is too busy singing aloud to notice where he's going. when chanyeol registers that his back's hit the floor and kyungsoo is sprawled on top of him, his face just inches away, he says, "you have a nice voice."

and kyungsoo laughs, the sound bright and happy. "i'm part of the school choir."

"oh," chanyeol says. "i never..."

"it's okay," kyungsoo says, rolling off of chanyeol. "you don't really know me anyway."

and he is walking away, kyungsoo is walking away again, when chanyeol finally finds the courage to say what he's been wanting to say since the fifth time they'd run into each other: "hey, do you want to have coffee?"

and chanyeol dislikes coffee, he's always avoided it, he's always kept quiet whenever his friend minseok gushed about the aroma of coffee beans. but it's worth it because kyungsoo stops in his tracks, turns around and smiles, and he says, "yeah, i'd like that."

two hours in, chanyeol realizes that he probably likes kyungsoo a lot. and it's not because of how kyungsoo hums to fill the awkward silence, or how he blows steam off of chanyeol's third cup of cappuccino because _you're going to burn your tongue, chanyeol_ , and chanyeol finds it adorable.

it's because kyungsoo blushes and keeps his gaze fixed on his cup when he is embarrassed. it's because kyungsoo sings when chanyeol asks him to, and it sounds like magic. it's because kyungsoo laughs at all of his jokes even when they're not funny, not at all.

to be honest, he's probably liked him since their first meeting. but then, when the shop begins to close down, chanyeol feels so uncertain. everything about the two of them is tentative. they are governed by circumstances, and every meeting they have is a coincidence.

as kyungsoo says goodbye, eyes sparkling with some kind of inner light, chanyeol feels a heavy sense of loss.

 

 

 

four months after they met at the party, chanyeol picks up a call from an unknown number. it's kyungsoo, and when chanyeol asks how he'd gotten ahold of his phone number, he simply chuckles. "meet me at the coffee shop after class," is all he says. "it's my turn to treat you."

chanyeol still hates coffee, but when the hour hand slides over to six, he's walking out of school and heading straight for the coffee shop. kyungsoo is already sitting at a table by the window when he arrives, and after ordering a vanilla latte, chanyeol takes the seat facing kyungsoo.

they make small talk, wandering through several topics. when the server deposits the vanilla latte in front of chanyeol, kyungsoo turns quiet. they sip their drinks in silence, and chanyeol feels so uncertain, so unsure, but he doesn't know how to start a new conversation.

"you know, i hate coffee," kyungsoo says, and he looks up from his cup. "but when you asked me to come here, i couldn't refuse." his hand drums a haphazard beat on the table. "i noticed you even before we met at the party."

a very intelligent "um" is the only thing that chanyeol says.

kyungsoo smiles, almost to himself. "you kind of stand out. what with your height and your voice and your huge grin," he continues. "i wanted to get to know you, but i didn't know how to approach you."

chanyeol begins to stir the contents of his glass.

"i," and kyungsoo hesitates, his brows furrowing. "i don't really know how to say this. but...well, i kind of memorized the routes you usually took at school, and i may have orchestrated some of our collisions."

chanyeol blinks at him. "oh," he says. it doesn't look like he'll be contributing anything substantial to this conversation anytime soon.

"it's weird, i know," kyungsoo chuckles. chanyeol wants to brush away the strand of hair that's fallen over his eyes. "i just..."

he sighs, and chanyeol's skin prickles with anticipation.

"i know we're kind of opposites," kyungsoo says. "i sing; you rap. i'm quiet; you're loud. i'm reserved; you're so open and carefree. but..." he bites his lip, and chanyeol doesn't know why, but he rests his hand on top of kyungsoo's.

"i like you, chanyeol. our accidental run-ins made that quite clear to me."

and for the first time in a long time, chanyeol feels like a heavy weight's been lifted off of his chest. he smiles at kyungsoo, then, and he fills in the spaces between kyungsoo's fingers.

"well, after all the time we've spent colliding...i like you, too, do kyungsoo."  


 

 

 


	5. chanyeol/kris: notice me, notice me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> she was, and still is, a whirlwind.

**notice me, notice me**  
chanyeol/kris  
pg-13  
  
for baekbyeol. chanyeol joins the cheerleading squad to get basketball captain kris' attention.  
w: gender-switched chanyeol because i can  
**a/n:** this is also actually my first attempt at crack (i think this is crack), so.

everyone who's known chanyeola since her toddler days knows that she cannot so much as take another step forward without tripping on her own two feet. during nap time, when they were all laid down on mats and told to sleep for an hour or two, she would somehow end up five feet away from where she was first positioned, and everyone around her ended up being rotated 75 degrees to the left. she was, and still is, a whirlwind -- and though chanyeola is actually quite pretty, few people dare come near her because she just might knock them down.

so to see her now, fifteen years old and several heads taller than most girls, signing up for the cheerleading squad's mid-year auditions is something of a joke to her friends.

"are you sure you want to do this?" her friend baekhyuna asks, eyeliner-rimmed eyes twinkling with barely repressed amusement. "you hate dancing."

"well, yes, but this is _cheerleading_ ," chanyeola says, blinking wide, innocent eyes at her best friend. she bites her lip and frowns at the application form that she's been given. "oh, do you think marching band in elementary counts as 'prior experience'?"

baekhyuna shakes her head and examines her dainty fingernails for any chips or cracks. "i mean, cheerleading requires a lot of movement, especially because there are so many stunts," she says. "and no, chanyeola, marching band does not count. you played the drums for goodness' sake, you weren't the one twirling the baton."

chanyeola pouts for all of three seconds before scribbling more answers on the form. beside her, baekhyuna looks around, trying to spot that dark-haired freshman guy who'd passed by her earlier, a wushu stick in his hand.

"aren't you going to apply, too?" chanyeola asks idly, poking baekhyuna's cheek. the shorter girl frowns in annoyance.

"no, i don't particularly want to be thrown up in the air and made to do cartwheels," she says. "finish up that form and pass it already, i need to do something."

chanyeola raises an eyebrow at her. "what exactly do you need to do? we don't have any assignments. are you sure you're not just going to stalk someone?"

baekhyuna blushes and slaps chanyeola's arm, earning a shrill shriek from the taller girl. "i'm not _stalking_ , okay," she says. "i just want to get to know people."

"okay, whatever you say," chanyeola says, affixing her signature to the bottom of the form with a flourish. she passes it to the poker-faced girl with multicolored hair, who doesn't even smile as she accepts the form.

baekhyuna puffs out her cheeks. the two of them begin walking down the hallways when the shorter girl stops in her tracks, a sudden thought occurring to her. "chanyeola," she says, her tone of voice bordering on dangerous. chanyeola freezes, not quite sure she wants to hear what baekhyuna is going to say, because it doesn't look like it's going to be nice. "why do you really want to join the cheerleading squad?"

"for extra-curricular activities," chanyeola blurts out, "build up my resume and all. now let's go, don't you have something you need to do?"

baekhyuna just crosses her arms over her chest, a sweet smile settling over her lips. to anyone, it just looks like she and her friend are having a pleasant conversation. chanyeola knows better.

"i wonder..." baekhyuna hums and takes a step forward. "are you sure it's not because of a varsity player or something?"

"what are you talking about?" chanyeola laughs nervously, gaze not quite settling on anything around her. she can feel blood rushing to her cheeks. "of course not!"

for a moment, it looks like baekhyuna is going to grill her further. but then she drops her arms, smile still in place, and she starts walking. "okay. let's go."

chanyeola follows after her, breathing out a sign of relief. she's safe for now, but if baekhyuna's current demeanor is any indication, it doesn't look like she's completely off the hook.

 

 

 

baekhyuna is right, though. chanyeola's motivation for joining the cheerleading squad isn't because she wants to bulk up her resume -- it's because of a tall, handsome guy who roams around school in a letterman jacket. she'd actually heard of him before, had even watched one of his games when she wasn't even enrolled in high school yet. he hadn't caught her eye then. but when chanyeola had been wandering down the hallways on her first day of class, she'd bumped into him and he'd helped her out, even accompanying her to her classroom where she'd turned around and thanked him before entering.

perhaps it's because when someone that good-looking is standing in front of you, looking for all the world like a white knight, your heart can't help but flutter a little.

three days later at the pep rally, she found out that his name was kris and that he was the basketball captain. if chanyeola had nursed a few flickering sparks of admiration initially, now that feeling had bloomed into a full-blown crush. it was only when she spotted the cheerleading squad coming out and interacting with the players did she entertain the thought of possibly getting closer to kris.

the squad wasn't accepting any new members at the time, though. so she waited, waited and waited for the mid-year auditions, and the minute it was announced she was among the first persons in line.

now all she had to do was learn new stunts so that she could get in.

 

 

 

she fails the auditions.

she fails because, no matter how determined chanyeola is at all of the things she does, she just isn't made for cheerleading. her deep, rich voice contrasts too much with the high-pitched screams and yells coming from the other applicants, and she is simply too uncoordinated. plus her height turns out to be a huge disadvantage for the first time ever, because there is no one tall enough to balance her out in all of the formations that the squad has.

she fails because, three minutes before her turn, the basketball team comes trooping in. and though they don't pay attention to the applicants and head straight to the other end of the gym, chanyeola loses all of her wits because kris brushes past her and he glances at her for a second. his gaze is too powerful, and her knees shake, and when the captain calls her name she fumbles with the first part of her routine.

she fails, and baekhyuna is there waiting for her outside the gym. and there is a part of chanyeola that is kind of relieved she doesn't actually have to stay until seven in the evening for practices or lift other girls up, but she still feels dejected. she's just lost her one chance to get close to kris.

"it's okay," baekhyuna murmurs when she sees her best friend's wounded expression. her arms come around chanyeola's waist and the taller girl buries her face in baekhyuna's hair (it's a bit of an awkward angle). "want to go for some ice cream?"

chanyeola exhales. "yeah," she says, fighting to keep a small smile on her face. "i'll just get my things."

baekhyuna lets her go, and chanyeola heads for the locker room. she has to pass by the basketball team as she does so, and she fiddles with the placement of her hair so that it can hide the blush rising on her cheeks.

she's just changed out of her sweats and into her school uniform, backpack slung over her shoulder, when someone stops her on her way out of the gym. it takes a while for chanyeola to register that she's staring at the sweat-stained basketball jersey of someone far taller than she is, and she looks up with a racing heart.

"you did well in the auditions," kris says to her, sounding like he's a little out of breath.

dimly, chanyeola registers some catcalls and whistles coming from the basketball team. she bites her lip and looks down at her feet. "i -- thanks," she manages to say. "i didn't get in though." she peeks up at him again.

kris frowns. "well, too bad for them, then."

"it's okay," chanyeola says with a slight shrug, and she re-adjusts the straps of her backpack.

"you worked hard for it, though, didn't you?" kris asks, and he almost sounds concerned. which kind of confuses her because, really, it's not his business and she's okay with the result.

"yeah," she says. she shifts from foot to foot, and when it looks like he has nothing more to add, she says, "well, i have to go --"

"wait," kris says, catching hold of her wrist. chanyeola freezes. kris looks tense, nervous all of a sudden, and he takes a deep breath. "when i helped you out that first day of class," he says, "we never introduced ourselves properly. i'm kris. what's your name?"

"i," chanyeola stutters for a second. "um, my name's chanyeola."

kris nods his head. "chanyeola, are you free this friday?"

and chanyeola thinks she's going to fall down dead anytime soon, because it's as if her heart rate has accelerated some more. she can't believe that she's talking to him. more so, that he's asked for her name.

"yes," she manages to squeak out. "yeah, i think i'm free."

and then he smiles, a breathtaking gummy smile that lights up his entire face, and chanyeola wants to melt because _why is he so handsome and cute_. "good. i'll see you at the school gates after class."

with that, he waves her goodbye and jogs back to his team, the other members welcoming him with cheers and pats on the back.

chanyeola's eyes widen. then she's pushing open the doors and running to her best friend, shrieking, "baekhyuna, you won't believe what just happened!"  


 

 

 

 


	6. chanyeol/kai: if you would only (love me back)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jongin has a huge problem.

**if you would only (love me back)**  
chanyeol/kai  
pg-13  
  
for baekbyuntae. prompt: band!au in which kai is attracted to clumsy drummer chanyeol, but chanyeol isn't aware of that fact.  
w: slight swearing  
**a/n:** ate, apparently it's your birthday~ haha so i guess this drabble is my gift to you nalang :D happy birthday! ^^ 

 

jongin has a huge problem.

no, it's not the fact that he's part of a college rock band booked for gigs until the wee hours of the morning, playing for drunk crowds at cramped venues that always smell of smoke. after each session, jongin doesn't bother removing his eyeliner and gloss, sweat-soaked wifebeater clinging to the lines of his lithe body. he heads straight for home without a hangover but with a whole lot of fatigue, and he only ever manages two to three hours of sleep before he's getting up again for his 7:30 am class.

it's got nothing to do with his social life, either, because although kim jongin tends to be quite mysterious and seductive, everyone knows him as an adorable ball of fluff in daily life. he may be a dork at times, but his friends put up with all of his corny jokes and much, much more. everyone knows him as the guitarist of _dark angels_ , knows him as the enigmatic guitarist kai, so he's quite popular. sometimes he has to deal with ugly rumors that never have a lot of weight or truth in them, but all in all, jongin likes the people who surround him and they like him too.

jongin's huge problem is chanyeol.

it has less to do with the fact that chanyeol towers over him and more to do with the way chanyeol is hardly ever coordinated when he's not playing musical instruments. maybe jongin's been nursing a slight crush on the taller guy ever since high school, when chanyeol had laughed at his quips even though no one else did, when chanyeol would brighten up his bad days with his crazy grins and infectious laughter.

but three months into college, baekhyun decided that he wanted to be the lead singer of a rock band, and he'd coaxed his friends into joining him. jongin played the guitar, so he wasn't surprised that he'd been included in the line-up. he knew zitao played the bass, and yixing could play piano by ear. but after all the time he'd spent with chanyeol, he never knew the older guy could play the drums.

when chanyeol was in his element on their very first practice session, jongin had this weird inkling that the sound of his own heartbeat was being played. chanyeol was _good_ , handling the drums so easily that jongin wondered why he'd never known this. his slight crush worsened into love, and there were days when jongin felt so heartsick that he almost couldn't breathe.

it was endearing, the way a more charismatic side of chanyeol emerged when he was around his musical instrument. it faded away whenever practice ended, and he'd be tripping over wires and knocking down mic stands, and jongin just laughed at him as he fixed things in his wake. he liked how chanyeol's hands could never sit still, tapping out a rhythm on any flat surface, on his thigh, sometimes on jongin's inner wrist. he liked that chanyeol was so immersed in music every time they played, his passion bleeding through every set they had. he liked how he'd drag jongin sometimes to the benches by the trees on campus, just because he'd thought of a new rhythm and some lyrics and _jongin, jongin, i think the strumming pattern should be this, are the lyrics okay_. he liked the way chanyeol was an over-eager, enthusiastic puppy always bursting with energy even when they had to face a five-hour gig after class.

he loved how chanyeol would ruffle his hair after every gig, handing him a bottle of water with that too-wide smile, and calling to make sure he'd arrived home safe. "can't have our precious guitarist go missing," he'd chuckled when jongin had asked, but jongin had seen the concern in chanyeol's eyes and known that that was just the way chanyeol was.

and the situation is perfect, really -- chanyeol is his friend, they've been close for years, and jongin gets to see him every single day because of a gig or a practice session. he's got plenty of chances to make his intention known and catch chanyeol's attention in a romantic way. and he's dropped a lot of hints lately: he's made sure to give chanyeol a towel and a bottle of water after each practice, has always talked to him about things, has sent out signals that he's _interested_ , and he's even gone as far as blatantly laying his head on chanyeol's shoulder and saying, "hyung, i like hanging out with you a lot."

the only thing is, chanyeol is kind of dumb and he also happens to be very, very oblivious to every sign that jongin's given him. and it frustrates jongin to no end, annoys him even, because though he can show that he cares for chanyeol, he can't quite say it outright. he can't quite put a name on his feelings and say them in a clearer way, that the reason why he likes hanging out with the taller guy is because _he's kind of liked him since forever_ and no, he doesn't mean it in a platonic way. jongin kind of wishes chanyeol would pick up on the message already, because he doesn't want to have to _confess_ , but it looks like chanyeol's not getting it any time soon.

it doesn't help that lately, chanyeol has been talking about his new friend kris and how the guy can speak four languages and plays basketball really well. and, okay, jongin knows he's talented -- knows he can play guitar and dance and rap -- but it kind of stings because he's only really fluent in one language and he's not in the least bit athletic. it irritates him so much, the way chanyeol won't stop worshiping everything kris does, so much so that he's been in a perpetual black mood every time the band gathers.

which is exactly what's happening right now. they have a major gig on saturday and they've been working on the new songs that they're performing, so practice has become more intense. it's a cold wednesday night but jongin barely feels the chill even when he's just in a thin t-shirt, mostly because he's too busy memorizing strumming patterns and chords to care about the weather. they're taking a break, baekhyun going off to the kitchen for some water, and zitao and yixing have their heads bent over the lyrics and music sheets. jongin stares at his hands and the callouses marring them, and chanyeol comes over to sit beside him.

the feeling of warmth jongin gets from the fact that chanyeol's right next to him quickly fades, because the drummer soon launches into this story about kris taking chanyeol to this really awesome coffee shop that's out of the way and has great records and is quaint and "jongin, he really has great taste when it comes to things like this, jongin --"

and jongin's seeing red, his chest is constricting and he's so jealous that it's difficult to keep his thoughts together. he knows he shouldn't be, knows that chanyeol is just in awe of the guy, knows that chanyeol wants to share his experiences the same way jongin always shares his problems. but he can't help it -- he's been so frustrated for months now, trying to get chanyeol to _notice_ , to _understand_ , and fuck this, what if chanyeol's in love with kris --

he stands up abruptly without an explanation and exits the room, slamming the door closed behind him. his fists are clenched and there is a bitter taste in his mouth. he walks for a bit then breaks out into a run, until he ends up in the balcony. jongin slides down to the ground and looks up at the night sky, breathing in the frigid air, before burying his face in his knees and letting loose a frustrated growl. and it's nearly winter, he's dressed in only a t-shirt, and it's honestly so cold and he's shivering. but he'd rather stay here and freeze to death than go back to that room and listen to chanyeol talk his ear off about kris.

he grits his teeth and counts from one to ten.

jongin is contemplating just turning into an ice sculpture so he'll never have anything to do with chanyeol ever again, when he feels something being draped around his shoulders. he raises his head and just barely registers chanyeol squatting in front of him. there is a small frown on his face.

"baekhyun wants another run-through," he says.

jongin glowers at the ground.

"i mean, if you're too tired, it's okay if you sit this one out," chanyeol says, biting his lip. "but it's really cold out here and, i...well, you should wear that jacket."

"i'm fine," jongin bites out.

chanyeol's face falls. "oh. but, um, you can keep it just in case."

jongin continues avoiding chanyeol's gaze. chanyeol rocks on the balls of his feet and makes to stand up but he hesitates. then his hand's on jongin's chin, forcing the guitarist to look at him, and the sorrow in his eyes stops jongin from snapping out something he knows he'll regret.

"did i...say something that offended you?" chanyeol says, and his already deep voice is pitched so, so much lower. "did i do something wrong, jongin? i feel like you've been upset at me lately."

jongin closes his eyes. "it's nothing. i've just been really stressed lately."

"it's not nothing," chanyeol insists. "you don't talk to me anymore, we don't hang out like we used to. there's something you're not telling me."

and jongin wants to scream. he wants to say, _we're not talking because all you want to talk about is kris_. he wants to say, _you always hang out with that guy, how can i tag along?_ he wants to say, _i'm in love with you and you don't notice, and that's what's wrong, hyung_.

instead he just says, "i'm tired. go back inside, chanyeol, they need a drummer."

he hears the shuffling of feet and the rustling of clothes and assumes that chanyeol's left him alone at last. jongin sighs and leans against the wall, eyes still closed.

"did someone tell you?"

jongin's eyes fly open. chanyeol hasn't left at all, he's standing over him with a conflicted expression on his face, and his hands are clenched. "what?"

"did you find out?" chanyeol's eyes are wild. "shit, i only told baekhyun and no one else, i think maybe i let it slip to kris by accident --"

 _there it is again, that guy_ , jongin thinks, and he can't stop the scowl from forming on his lips. "what are you talking about?" he snaps.

chanyeol blinks twice, not used at all to jongin's tone of voice. "so you know," he says, and he sounds so miserable that jongin's heart squeezes a little.

"i know what?"

chanyeol's hands clench and unclench. "i didn't mean to," he whispers, and jongin feels so lost and confused at the same time. he doesn't like how sad chanyeol is right now; doesn't like how the taller guy looks so vulnerable and ready to break at any moment, and it makes him want to hold him close.

jongin gets to his feet. "chanyeol, what are you saying?"

this time, chanyeol's the one avoiding his gaze. "i didn't mean to, i swear, i just..." he swallows. "i don't want this to get in the way of our friendship but i can't help it, jongin, i've tried. but i really, really like you and i'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable."

jongin stares. chanyeol's lips turn down even more.

"i'll just go back inside," he says and starts to leave, but then jongin's whirling him around and backing him up against the wall.

"idiot," the guitarist hisses. "idiot, idiot, idiot."

"i _know_ that, okay," chanyeol says, hurt crossing his face, and he's just about to say something more but jongin's pulling him closer and kissing him.

it takes a while before the two of them come up for air, and when they do, jongin admires how kiss-swollen chanyeol's lips are.

"what..." chanyeol hesitates.

jongin simply reaches up to thumb the taller guy's cheek. "you idiot," he says. "i've been dropping hints since forever and you never noticed."

chanyeol's mouth drops open and a blush rises on his cheeks. "but you were ignoring me this week --"

"would it kill you," jongin interrupts him, "to talk about something other than kris for once?"

understanding flashes in chanyeol's eyes and a small "oh" escapes him. "i'm sorry."

jongin nods. "it's okay. maybe you can talk about him less and spend more time with me, yeah?"

the sound of clapping breaks the silence surrounding them and chanyeol and jongin look up to see baekhyun standing just inside the balcony, a small smile gracing his lips. "okay," he says, "now that the two of you have finally gotten together, can we go back and practice? the band can't perform with just the bass and the piano, you know."

jongin blushes and chanyeol chuckles, but as they both follow baekhyun back to the practice room, jongin reaches down to interlock their fingers. chanyeol squeezes his hand and jongin smiles, warmth seeping into his chest.

well, that wasn't so bad, after all.  


 

 

 


	7. chanyeol/baekhyun: diagnosis: lovesickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chanyeol blames the adorable doctor byun baekhyun.

**diagnosis: lovesickness**  
chanyeol/baekhyun  
pg-13  
  
for certainangles. prompt: chanbaek as a doctor/patient where the patient is a chaebol.

those who barely know chanyeol might perceive him as a poor guy with a rather weak immune system, considering the fact that he's had to visit the hospital about seven times in the last two months. he's always catching some kind of virus or earning a new wound lately, and they wonder when he's ever going to get a break.

those who have known him for a long time, who are well-attuned to his behavioral patterns and habits, know that there is a far deeper reason behind those hospital visits. to them, it's suspicious that a person like chanyeol's had way too many reasons to end up in the emergency room, especially when they remember that the tall guy's not susceptible to the illnesses that linger in this world.

for his own part, chanyeol doesn't quite care what the people around him choose to believe. he owes them nothing as far as he's concerned, and he's learned long ago that it's better to just live life without worrying about how his peers see him. so he just continues traipsing off to the hospital with each new scrape and sickness he's earned, never mind that he's been disregarding his personal safety all week, just so he can find some excuse to be wheeled into the emergency room even if it's for something as shallow as a dime-sized bruise.

chanyeol blames the adorable doctor byun baekhyun for his sudden desire to always be cooped inside those white walls, surrounded by a clinical atmosphere. baekhyun had been the one to tend to chanyeol on the day that the taller guy had sprained his ankle because he'd slipped on a squeaky toy dinosaur on the staircase. chanyeol had been smitten with baekhyun's smile and his pretty, pretty hands, and so he'd devised new ways to ensure he'd always run into the younger male.

his friend do kyungsoo thinks that there are better things on which chanyeol can spend his money. as he drives chanyeol to the hospital for the eighth time, he delivers a speech about how chanyeol isn't supposed to waste his entire inheritance on trips to the emergency room for something as minor as a paper cut. "you are supposed to be a responsible human being and do the necessary preparations for when you take over the family business," kyungsoo chides.

"but i am doing just that," chanyeol says, pouting. "and if you really had a problem with it, you wouldn't have agreed to drive me to the hospital at all."

kyungsoo stiffens. "i was worried," he says, not wanting to betray the fact that _he really hadn't thought of that at all_. "and what would you have done if i hadn't been around to drive you?"

chanyeol sticks out his tongue at him as the car pulls into the parking lot. "i'd have asked jongin, then," he says.

kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "the poor guy would have fallen asleep at the wheel."

"which is exactly why i was going to ask him," chanyeol explains, "because then you'd be worried and you'd offer to drive me instead so that jongin doesn't get us both in an accident."

kyungsoo flushes and his fingers fumble for the seat belt as he mutters, "next time, i really am leaving you to your own devices."

"i don't think so," chanyeol sings.

in retaliation, kyungsoo lets him hobble up the first ten steps to the entrance on his own.

 

 

 

"you should really take more care of yourself," baekhyun says when he's finished patching up chanyeol's leg. "you've been in and out a lot lately, that's not a good thing."

to chanyeol's right, kyungsoo coughs behind his hand and murmurs something like, "if you switched departments, maybe this would stop."

chanyeol elbows him and arranges a sad look on his face. "maybe you should help take care of me, dr. byun," he whines, and kyungsoo chokes on his own spit. "i think i should get my own personal doctor because i keep getting injured."

baekhyun's eyes widen and his cheeks turn pink. then he bursts into laughter as he says, "that's too much. besides, it's pretty expensive."

chanyeol frowns a little. "but it's possible?" he asks, because to be honest, chanyeol's interpretation of _pretty expensive_ is _really cheap_. he glances at kyungsoo and kyungsoo stares back at him, as if asking, _are you serious?_

baekhyun blinks in surprise. "i -- yes, i think, but house calls are expensive and the fees are steep and you'd have to pay for equipment --"

"kyungsoo will handle it," chanyeol says with ease. more coughs emerge from kyungsoo.

"but it's expensive," baekhyun repeats, eyes still wide.

chanyeol shrugs. "i think you're worth it," he says, and watches as the doctor drops his pen in shock, "and it's a lifetime investment."

baekhyun's still gaping at him even as the nurses come in and help chanyeol into a wheelchair. kyungsoo has stopped gurgling and now looks resigned, nodding his head when chanyeol tells him to go the information desk and inquire about how dr. byun baekhyun can be made into his personal doctor. chanyeol knows it's not really an inquiry, though; when they learn who he is, there will be no questions asked.

"see you soon, dr. byun," chanyeol says, waving his hand. "and thank you!"

he smiles to himself. it looks like things will be looking up from here on out.  
  



End file.
